Jul 2026· Research in Corpus Linguistics· pp. 290· 0 citations· 33 references
Abstract
The present study investigates clarifying when-constructions (e.g., when I say more, I don’t mean that we should consume more, but really it’s about creating a rich life) in a sample of 971 examples from the Corpus of Contemporary American English. In this construction, a phrase or clause from a different or the same turn is repeated in a when-clause to provide clarification through the main clause, often accompanied by a refining clause. The present research centers around identifying configurations of variables that are correlated with whether a speaker repeats a phrase or clause from a different or the same turn in a when-clause. We do so with a predictive modeling approach that uses the following variables: refining clause, main clause verb, main clause polarity, and mode. We also discuss the prototypical configurations associated with each type of repetition. Our findings go beyond traditional research on self-repetition and clarification by showing how their conversational functions interact with other grammatical domains in language use: morphosyntax, lexicon, and mode. This is in line with recent Usage-Based Construction Grammar work that has shown that constructionhood is a complex intersection of internal and external properties.
This article uses frame semantics, the concept of a communicative frame, us-age-based construction grammar theory, and a corpus-based quantitative methodology to examine the characteristics of constructions in Polish that contain adverbial complements (ACs), the noun rzecz ‘thing’, and the quasi-participle ujmując ‘expressing/putting’. The author analyzes examples of this construction found in the National Corpus of Polish (NKJP) to understand its structural, semantic, distributional, and discourse-related features. In addition, the study identifies ACs that are strongly and weakly associated with this construction, and those that are more or less dependent on it. The research shows that this construction is often combined with various categories of ACs, each corresponding to distinct semantic and communicative frames. Furthermore, it has been observed that this construction is motivated by a specific conceptual metaphor, appears in different language registers, takes various forms, and serves multiple functions in discourse.
This paper examines the syntax of quantificational expressions in Chuj, a Mayan language spoken primarily in Guatemala and Mexico. Building on Royer, Buenrostro & Jenks (2026), we argue that Chuj quantifiers fall into two distinct syntactic categories. Some quantifiers function exclusively as
determiners
, while others belong to the well-established category of
nonverbal predicates
(Grinevald & Peake 2012, Coon 2016, Armstrong 2017, Mateo Toledo 2023). This syntactic split is supported by a range of diagnostics, which we systematically apply to another type of quantifier:
wh
-items. The results indicate that Chuj
wh
-items should be treated exclusively as nonverbal predicates, leading us to reanalyze
wh
-questions as constructions that necessarily involve pseudoclefts. Our novel approach challenges the prevailing view in the Mayanist literature, which has treated
wh
-items as components of the extended nominal domain, and supports a less common one instead (Zavala 1992, Tonhauser 2003, 2007). We demonstrate that our proposal also derives three (seemingly idiosyncratic) properties of Mayan
wh
-questions in a unified and theoretically appealing way: (i) the apparent ban on
wh
-
in situ
(Caponigro, Torrence & Zavala Maldonado 2021, Coon, Baier & Levin 2021), (ii) the ban on multiple
wh
-questions (Caponigro, Torrence & Zavala Maldonado 2021, Coon, Baier & Levin 2021), and (iii) the phenomenon known as pied-piping with inversion (Smith-Stark 1988, Aissen 1996).
Justin Royer, C. Buenrostro, Rodrigo Ranero· Journal of Linguistics· 0 citations
Structure generation accounts of ellipsis propose that silent syntactic structure is generated but unpronounced in ellipsis. Reactivation accounts propose instead that the antecedent is reactivated at the ellipsis site, with no silent structure. Existing psycholinguistic findings have not distinguished these hypotheses (Phillips & Parker, 2014). We address this issue by investigating voice mismatches in VP ellipsis in English (e.g., A new language was supposed to be taught in the fall semester, but no professors could __ because the schedule was too tight). In Experiment 1, participants' performance at recognizing that a word did not appear in the sentence is poorer when a related word appeared (e.g., teach, when taught appeared), versus an unrelated word (e.g., worst). This effect is greater when the elided clause is in the active voice, as in the previous example, versus the passive (...but no new language was...). The contrast between active and passive conditions cannot be accounted for solely in terms of antecedent reactivation, since the antecedents are identical. Experiment 2, which compares sentences with VP ellipsis with sentences containing an overt pro-form (e.g., do that...), provides further evidence in support of this conclusion. The processing of VP ellipsis must include more than just antecedent reactivation. The findings of these two experiments are thus most consistent with the structure generation account of ellipsis.
Benjamin Bruening, Anna Koppy, Bilge Palaz et al.· Glossa Psycholinguistics· 0 citations
This study was motivated by the frequent use of sentences with the verb ada that require structural analysis, with the focus of the study directed toward the syntactic function of these sentences The data, consisting of 194 sentences composed by students in an academic context, were selected purposively and analyzed using a descriptive method based on Verhaar’s theory. The results reveal four constructions: N+Va, Va+N, N+Va+Num, and N+Va+N, with the Va+N construction being the most prevalent; verbs ada are always function as predicates and follow an inverted word order (P–S). These sentences are classified as simple and complex sentences with a variety of structural patterns. Furthermore, a shift in the category of the verb ada to an adverb was observed when it co-occurs with numerals, indicating its adaptability as an active element within numeral phrases, rather than merely a passive component, particularly in graded complex clause. This study demonstrates that the syntactic behavior of verbs ada constitutes a movement of verbs in occupying linguistic units at the syntactic level, namely the movement of verbs within grammatical units such as phrases, clauses, and sentences. The implications of these findings include up-to-date guidelines for teaching scientific sentence structure, analyzing academic discourse, and serving as a lexicographical reference to enrich grammatical information on word classes in monolingual Indonesian dictionaries.
Penelitian ini dilatarbelakangi oleh banyaknya penggunaan kalimat beverba ada yang memerlukan analisis struktural, dengan fokus kajian diarahkan pada fungsi sintaksis kalimat tersebut. Data berupa 194 kalimat yang disusun mahasiswa dalam konteks akademik dipilih secara purposif dan dianalisis menggunakan metode deskriptif dengan teori Verhaar. Hasil menunjukkan empat konstruksi: N+Va, Va+N, N+Va+Num, dan N+Va+N, yang didominasi konstruksi Va+N; verba ada selalu berfungsi sebagai predikat dan berpola inversi (P–S). Kalimat-kalimat tersebut terklasifikasi dalam kalimat tunggal dan majemuk bertingkat dengan variasi pola yang beragam. Selain itu, ditemukan pergeseran kategori verba ada menjadi adverbia ketika berdampingan dengan numeralia menunjukkan adaptabilitasnya sebagai unsur aktif dalam frasa numeral, bukan sekadar komponen pasif, terutama dalam klausa kompleks bertingkat. Penelitian ini menujukkan perilaku sintaktis verba ada merupakan gerak verba dalam menempati satuan bahasa pada tataran sintaksis, yakni pergerakan verba pada satuan gramatika frasa, klausa, maupun kalimat. Implikasi temuan ini meliputi panduan mutakhir dalam pengajaran struktur kalimat ilmiah, analisis wacana akademik, serta rujukan leksikografi untuk memperkaya informasi gramatikal kelas kata dalam kamus ekabahasa bahasa Indonesia.
Encep Kusumah, Nunung Sitaresmi, Rudi Adi Nugroho M.Pd. et al.· Tabasa Jurnal Bahasa Sastra...· 1 citation
Abstract When language users choose between alternative schematic constructions, as for example in the English dative alternation, they are influenced not only by contextual or processing-related factors that apply generally but also by individual lexemes that fill the open slots of constructions. The methodology for modeling such lexical biases is still under development. To motivate methodological decisions, we need a theory of how lexical biases arise in the first place. Drawing on usage-based theory, this paper argues that lexical biases emerge from exemplars of concrete, lexically specific instances, from which generalizations are formed. The resulting hierarchical structure enables speakers to learn lexical biases efficiently by drawing on expectations derived from these generalizations. This assumption parallels the logic of multilevel (hierarchical) modeling, in which the effects of random groups are estimated jointly under a shared distribution, while also being separately estimated for each group. In order to support this claim, the present paper revisits the English dative alternation. We employ a Bayesian multilevel regression model in order to demonstrate its viability for capturing the lexical specificities of alternating constructions. Our case study serves to illustrate technical aspects of the method, such as specifying the group-level effects structure and setting priors.
Hikaru Hotta· Corpus Linguistics and Lingu...· 0 citations
Old Tamil literature differs completely from Modern Tamil in both word structure and sentence structure. Tense markers or infixes play a crucial role in denoting the tense of verbs. Although Tolkappiyar defined the tenses as three, he did not analyze and specify the exact tense markers for them. It was Nannular, who came later, who categorized the four markers—-t- (-த்-), -ṭ- (-ட்-), -ṟ- (-ற்-), and -in- (-இன்-)—as past tense infixes.
Beyond these boundaries, various allomorphs and morphophonemic variations were in practice in Old Tamil. This paper comprehensively examines past tense markers using evidence from Sangam literature, grounded in the theories of Descriptive Linguistics, Historical Comparative Grammar, and Morphophonemics.
In particular, it categorizes phonologically conditioned allomorphs, final consonant doubling (gemination), and other past tense markers not mentioned by traditional grammarians (-tt-, -nt-, -i-, -n-, -y-, -k-) from a morphological perspective, providing a detailed explanation of their historical background and universal linguistic parallels.
முனைவர் நா. சரண்யா· Tamilmanam International Res...· 0 citations
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